3 times India registered a clean sweep in T20Is away from home
India outsmarted the Kiwis 5-0 in the recently-concluded five-match T20I series in New Zealand. This was the first time in cricketing history that a team had won all five matches in a five-game T20I series.
Team India completed the clean sweep with a close win in the final T20I at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui. For the third game in a row, India came back from behind to defeat the Kiwis, and in the process create a record.
The magnitude of India’s achievement can be gauged from the fact that this was only the third time that India had registered a clean sweep in a T20I series away from home (minimum of three matches).
The previous two whitewashes were registered in Australia in 2015-16 and against West Indies in USA / West Indies in 2019. As India bask in the glory of their latest clean sweep, let’s take an in depth look at the three occasions they blanked opponents away from home in T20Is.
#3 Against Australia in Australia 2015-16 (3-0)
A clinical India defeated Australia 3-0 in the three-match T20I series Down Under at the beginning of 2016. In the first match at Adelaide, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah were the stars as India won the contest by 37 runs.
After being put into bat, Kohli’s unbeaten 90 from 55 balls led India to an impressive total of 188 for 3. In reply, the Aussies were also out for 151 as Bumrah claimed 3 for 23. He dismissed David Warner at the top, and returned to clean up the tail.
Spinners Ravichandran Ashwin (2 for 28) and Ravindra Jadeja (2 for 21) also chipped in as India came up with a complete bowling effort.
In the second T20I at Melbourne, Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan combined with Kohli to help India to 184 for 3 batting first. While Rohit made 60 from 47, Dhawan contributed 42 from 32 and Kohli an unbeaten 59 from 33.
Australia got off to a brilliant start with Aaron Finch and Shaun Marsh adding 94 for the opening wicket in 9.5 overs. However, once the partnership was broken, the Aussies faltered. Finch was run out for 74 from 48.
For India, Bumrah and Jadeja again chipped in with two scalps each.
With the series in the bag, India came up with another shining effort at Sydney. This time, Australia batted first and Shane Watson made an astonishing 124 not out from 71 balls. His knock single-handedly lifted the Aussies to 197 for 5.
India’s combined brilliance with the bat though saw Watson’s incredible innings go in vain. Rohit (52 from 38) and Kohli (50 from 36) kept India in the chase throughout before Suresh Raina (49 not out from 25) took India to a clean sweep with a sizzling knock.